OORB

Jolly Ollie is the new Cheetah captain
Thursday August 10 2006
Cheetahs scoop Namibian midfielder

Hannes Nienaber

SOURCE: www.rugby 365.com

Veteran Springbok prop Ollie le Roux will take over the Cheetahs' captaincy for the remainder of the Currie Cup season, after first choice Hendro Scholtz underwent surgery to repair a damaged chest muscle earlier this week.

OORB NOTE: I was looking for a long time for this photo- also from www.rugby365.com, just to irritate Aldo- seeing that Ollie is his most likeable Player- but I believe Ollie will be an astute captain- who had also resurrected his career- under the Master Retreader- Coach Erasmus.

The "silly season with regard to player movement had begun- and again Coach Erasmus seems to be ready. Last year- due to the orchestrated delay in the announcement of the 5 S14 Franchises- he was stopped from shopping - but it seems that the wheels of the Checkout trolly had been greased well in advance.

I do not think that the Cheetahs Buying spree will match that of Boland though- the way Boland is utilising the Fidentia Money will make every female with a craze to shop- green with envy. Or is it only Fidentia Money. In a Super 14 context- it will be intersting to se if these Boland players gets any Stormer game time. It also seems that kobus VD Merwe seems set to purchase all the Griqua S14 players- thereby creating a bit of uncomfortableness for Coach Erasmus. Very Chelsea like- behaviour from the BALD ONE- who is doing rather well without Motormouth Mallet - being the backseat driver.

Scholtz and wing Giscard Pieters are both unlikely to play again this season because of injuries.

Scholtz will be sidelined for eight weeks and at best will be able to train again the week before the Currie Cup Final (October 14). Even if the Cheetahs reach the Final, it is unlikely he will be considered after such a long lay-off.

Pieters is likely to be sidelined for at least six weeks.

Apart from appointing the amiable Le Roux as captain for the remainder of the season, Erasmus has also moved to improve his midfield resources.

Namibian international Hendrik Meyer, a talented 22-year-old centre, has been signed from the Pumas and will be available for the Cheetahs for the remainder of the season.

The Cheetahs' next game is against Griquas in Kimberley on August 19.

Meyer was on the shopping list of all the big unions in South Africa - the Lions, Blue Bulls, Sharks, Western Province and Cheetahs. It was the latter who scooped him away from the rest.

Dale Heidtmann has been doing duty at inside centre for the Cheetahs in the first half of the Currie Cup, but with Meyer's arrival and the return from Springbok duty of Meyer Bosman, the Cheetahs now have a surfeit of big, quality inside centres.

Erasmus also signed Leopards outside centre Warren de Bruin, who has been on trial in Bloemfontein this past week. De Bruin and JW Jonker will cover the No.13 position. ( I wonder how injured JW Jonker is?)

But the acquisition of Meyer, who weighs 105kg and is 192cm, is the team's biggest scoop of the season. Agree on this one- (Meyer had posed alot of problems for us in the Bloem game- good centre- and according to the media- almost all the provinces wanted to sign him.)

OORB NOTE: The Cheetah midfield - was I believe the reason why we could not convert 60 % possession against the Bulls and the Goats into victories. While Willem de Waal was not edzakkerly cooking in Oranje 10- the ability of Dale Heidtman to get JW Jonker running straight -with space- was not demonstrated.

With Meyer Bosman back- and with Hendrik Meyer immediatly available- I believe things might get better in the midfield. Some experts also indicated that Alwyn Hollenbach might be utilised in Oranje 14- although I would love to see him and Meyer Bosman in the midfield.

It will be interesting to see which of the Lions players would choose Bloem over PE for the S 14 2007. names that comes to mind - Jacque Fourie, Jano Vermaak, Ernst Joubert and my favourite vanilla-afro Varkhond Grobler. BTW- why is baywatch in Coach Eloff's dogbox? - or is Roland Bernard that good?

On Warren De Bruin- I know nothing of him- but the Leopards have been turning out good quality players for a long time now- so he will be most likely a good aquisition. I wonder about Bertus Swanepoel and Jonathan Mokoena?

# posted by Oranje_Orakel : 7:39 AM